Crash
by LLFOREVER
Summary: Alex Karev knows all about crashing and burning, but he's just learning about getting back up. A series of Alexcentric ficlets.
1. Simplicity

_Simplicity_

Rating: PG  
Pairing: Alex/Addison  
Prompt: Jingle bells (which.. ended up being a very tiny part of the entire story)  
A/N: Read and review. _Simplicity_ is one part of the Crash series that I'm starting right now. Crash will focus on Alex, but it will include other characters. Pairings are ficlet-specific, and this one is Alex/Addison. After completing a number of prompts, I may continue some of these - I may not. All reviews are welcome, and story requests are also welcome.

* * *

He straightens his tie and blinks. For a split second, he wants to leave. The fancy lights and gourmet food – it isn't him. He feels out of place, even though his clothes are just as nice as everyone else's. And then, he thinks it's not the clothes. It's not the decorations. It's the girl.

She pushes through people, trying not to spill the two drinks in her hands. She opted for plain and simple. A scotch on the rocks for him and a vodka martini for herself. For a split second, she forgets why she brought him here. The fancy lights and gourmet food aren't him – they're Mark. Lately, he's proved that he's definitely not Mark.

He adjusts his tie, a nervous habit that he developed years ago. He almost turns to go, but then he hears her voice, and he remembers why he came.

"Alex, hey, I got us drinks. Scotch on the rocks okay for you?" He nods and momentarily forgets how to speak. She smiles quickly and avoids his eyes.

"Yeah. Thanks." He takes a sip and then frowns to himself. Addison Montgomery isn't a "yeah" kind of girl. He doesn't know how to measure up to her. She's Addison freaking Montgomery. Jesus Christ.

"No, I'm Addison… or Satan. Whichever you prefer." Alex blinks quickly and stares back at Addison. Did he say that out loud? Addison smirks and holds out her arm. "I want to show you something."

They walk out to the doors of the balcony of the club, and a rush of cold air hits them. Alex slows, in case Addison wants to stay indoors, but she nods her head outside, and he walks along side her.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Addison motions to the falling snow and the Seattle skyline. She doesn't miss New York as much as she thought she would. Seattle has a certain peace to it. The city itself is slower and more relaxed.

It is, he thinks. He watches her watch the snow and tries to memorize every lock of red hair and every detail of her face. In that moment, he wants nothing more than to kiss her, but self-doubts fill his head again. This is different than it was with Olivia or Izzie. Addison isn't an equal, not to him or Mark or Derek. She's in a class of her own, and he's just a lowly peasant.

"You know… I don't expect you to be Derek or Mark. I don't want you to be." Alex glances at Addison in surprise. She shifts under his stare and then shrugs. "I spent eleven years of my life, plus the time we dated, trying to be the dressy girl. I'm done. Look where it got me. Don't get me wrong; I like getting dressed up and having fun, but not alone. For once, I just want to eat burgers and go bowling. I want someone to try to feel me up at a drive-in movie theater." At that, Alex grins and takes that as his cue to speak.

"I grew up in Iowa. I had a deadbeat dad, and my mom couldn't be there for me emotionally. My sister was much older, and she got out of there as fast as she could. She lives somewhere in California now, in the movie business. Anyway, there was this great drive-in. I saw all of the movies there." Alex trails off, having forgotten why he was telling Addison this.

And then he kisses her.

It's soft and delicate, and for once, Addison appreciates that. It doesn't feel like Alex just wanted to jump her, and she doesn't feel pressured to perform. When he pulls away, she feels like a school girl again.

"I got you something," he whispers. He slips his hand into his pocket and pulls out the small, elegant pin. It has tiny jingle bells, and it reminds him of what home should be like.

"Merry Christmas, Addie. It's not much, but I thought it would look nice on you," he mumbles.

"No," she says. "It's perfect. It's simple. And that's all I want." Addison slips her hand into Alex's jacket pocket and rests her head on his shoulder. "Don't over think it, Karev."

He shrugs and kisses the top of her head. The fancy stuff isn't him, but simplicity he can do. He knows how to keep things simple.

"Addison… will you get ice cream with me?" She smiles and gives him a quick kiss.

This might just work.

* * *

A/N: Let me know what you think. All reviews welcome, but constructive criticism is appreciated. I'm always open to requests for prequels, sequels, continuations.. etc. 


	2. It's a Wonderful Life I

_It's a Wonderful Life I_

Rating: PG-13 (innuendo, mild language)  
Pairing: Alex/Addison  
Prompt: Alex/Addison – decorating  
A/N: Thanks for all of the positive review about the first ficlet! I think I will do a prequel for it, but I want to write a few other things first. This ficlet is titled _It's a Wonderful Life_ in a slightly obvious nod to the movie. Although the short, two-part ficlet has nothing to do specifically about the movie, you'll see it come into play in Part II.

* * *

Alex stares at the drink in front of him and traces the edge of the glass with his fingertip. Every few minutes, he glances at his front door, waiting for the doorbell to ring. He tells himself that he won't care if she doesn't show, that she invited herself over anyway, but when the clock nears 7, he begins to worry. The cold Seattle winter doesn't compare to his Iowa upbringing, but for Addison, it could be more than she's used to. A chiding voice in his head reminds him that she is from New York.

He leans back and closes his eyes for a minute, but when he hears the unmistakable shout of Addison Montgomery, he gets up and goes to his front door. The glass has become almost frosty – he makes a mental note to kick up the thermostat – but all thoughts of furnaces are forgotten when he sees Addison.

Addison wraps her scarf around once more and rubs her mitten-clad hands together. She laughs as she wiggles her fingers inside the old mittens. The mittens make her feel like a little kid who can't wait for the first snowfall. Then her eyes travel up to the porch, and she smiles when she sees Alex staring out. Brushing a few pine needles off her sweatpants, Addison runs up and flings open the door. As an afterthought, she blushes, realizing that she didn't even knock, but then she looks back out at the tree that's being unloaded and feels giddy again.

"What the heck is that? Did you get here okay?" Alex tries to hide the note of concern in his voice, but Addison smirks just enough to let him know that his anxiety is showing.

"That…" Addison says, "is a Christmas tree."

"No shit, Sherlock." Alex frowns and rubs the back of his neck in discomfort. "Sorry… I just.. you got a tree. How is that thing going to fit in my house? And what are we doing with it?" He looks from Addison to the tree and back to Addison, trying to take it all in. He doesn't remember the last time he celebrated Christmas or decorated anything. He doesn't remember the last time he cared about how his house looked. He doesn't remember the last time he was this nervous about a girl coming over.

But somehow, everything is different now. Beyond the classifications of attending and intern, friend and foe, and teacher and student, things are different. Sure, he's still a ass at times, but Addison gets the feeling that he just wants to keep things lively, and she's come to appreciate it. Alex still feels a twinge of a desire for control when she orders him around, but he realized in their "time apart" that he needs someone to push him and make him work hard.

"We're decorating it, Karev. I have some glue and stuff in my car." At that, Alex raises his eyebrows. He's not an artsy-craftsy person, and that's one thing that he'll never understand. "Don't look at me like that. I can control whether you get to see the inside of an OR, you know. It's fun. You have to make some of your own ornaments for it to feel like yours. Otherwise it's just another tree from another lot that will get trashed on the corner after Christmas."

"I never knew you were so passionate about Christmas trees. If I'd known I had the competition…" Alex trails off. Until now, he's never come close to admitting that he has fallen for Satan. After Izzie, Alex was done trying to care. It just wasn't him. He didn't have the time or the personality. He looks at Addison for any trace of panic in her body language, but she just smirks.

"I knew you'd miss me."

* * *

A/N: Definitely not my best work, but I'm going somewhere... I promise. Reviews are lovely. Also, I'm still totally open to Alex-centric requests and prompts. 


	3. It's a Wonderful Life II

_It's a Wonderful Life II_

A/N: I'm on deadline – mine. I've been putting this off for awhile, but then I started working on it today, and it kind of took off. I hope you like how it worked out. Read and review!  
--  
Alex stares at the cardboard star in front of him. On the table in front of him are several other shapes and various ribbons and sequins for decorating them. And then a hot cup of chocolate and a beaming smile remind him why he's doing this.

Addison grins in spite of herself. If her friends back home could see her now… She only resembles the woman that left New York several months ago. Then she realizes it. New York isn't home anymore. Derek, Mark, her old house and practice – they're just fading memories of a life she once had. She thinks she should be sad or disappointed, but strangely, she's just okay being Addison Montgomery.

"I had no idea how… pro-Christmas you are," Alex stutters. Mentally, he kicks himself. He hasn't been a stuttering, bumbling idiot around a girl since Cindy Hawkins in 2nd grade. Addison shrugs and smiles.

"Christmas is just… it's a time in my house growing up that was always peaceful and fun. When Derek and I were together, it was the one time of year that we got to spend real quality time together. Last Christmas wasn't great, so I wanted to make this one better," Addison says, pausing. "You know, I'm not really Satan." Alex almost starts laughing, but then he sees the serious look in Addison's eyes.

"You just needed the right person to see you for more than a pawn in a chess game," Alex whispers. He doesn't know anything about chess, doesn't know when he became the type to share his thoughts and feelings, doesn't know why this woman has changed everything, but the thing is – he likes the change.  
--  
Alex sits down on his couch and then motions for Addison to sit beside him. Tentatively, he faces her and takes her hand in his, tracing over it with the tips of his fingers.

"The tree… it looks nice," he says, glancing over at the Douglas Fir that now stretches from floor to ceiling. And it does. The homemade ornaments give it just the right touch, combined with the colored lights and silver balls. The star at the top of the tree has a slight angle to it, but it makes the tree look more natural. Then again, Alex doesn't have much experience with Christmas trees or Christmas. Still, he judges by the look on Addison's face that this is a good tree.

"I'm sorry I got the tree without asking you if it was okay. I just… I can't have one at the hotel of course, and I went by a Christmas tree farm, and I wanted one," Addison rambles. Alex smirks and nods.

"You're cute when you're nervous," he teases.

"I don't get nervous. I am not a nervous person. I just didn't know if you liked Christmas. Oh God. You're allergic to pine needles aren't you? Is that why you didn't have a tree? I should have thought of that. Why didn't I call? I should have called. I mean, I did call. I didn't even ask about coming over. I can't believe you're allergic!"

"Addison, slow down."

"I do not need to slow down! What if you get a rash? I'll never be able to work near you again. Then you'll be stuck with Mark! I want you to learn something. You're going to be running errands the rest of your life because of me!"

Alex has to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He wants to tell her how cute her speech was, wants to tell her that it was so un-Addison that it was her, wants to tell her that he loves her smile. Instead, he opts for the simple route… for now.

"Addison. Addison, look at me."

Addison finally stops and stares at the younger man on the couch beside her. Her eyes travel up from his waist, past his shirt that fits just tight enough to make her squirm, up to his soft eyes. And suddenly, she has an impulse. It's been awhile since she's "scratched" an itch and been comfortable with the decision, but this time, this time she thinks will be different.

Before Alex can blink, Addison is in his lap, pushing hard against his chest, teasing him with quick kisses. He responds in more ways than one and finds himself tangling his hands in her hair, pulling her as close as he can.

Between rough kisses and Addison's teasing touch, Alex gently nibbles on her ear and whispers her name.

"Addison, I love the tree."  
--  
A/N: Okay… I think I like this chapter. Addison seems a little out of character to me, but maybe that's just me. Anyway, I love that Alex feels both out of place and completely comfortable with Addison. He's nervous, but they're both happy, and neither of them have been like this for a long time, if ever. They don't overshadow each other, and that's a good thing. Addison is comfortable to be quirky and neurotic around him, and while he would normally see that as high-maintenance, there's just something different about Addison. This week's episode was love, but I'm so mad that they were interrupted… by Meredith's dad of all people. Review! Next update should be up over the weekend, maybe two if I have time. I'll probably do a Part III for this, and then we'll see what the next ficlet will be.


	4. It's a Wonderful Life III

_It's a Wonderful Life III_

Rating: PG-13 (innuendo, mild language)  
Pairing: Alex/Addison  
Prompt: Alex/Addison – decorating  
A/N: So… I have no idea where this chapter will go. I'm having fun with it, but I think it will be the end… I have some more Alex-centric stories to explore.  
--  
He does, in fact, love the tree. He loves the tree because it has brought Addison into his house, into his bed, and into his life. He likes having a warm body to sleep next to, a friend to share the challenges of each day with, and a girlfriend, if he can call her that.

"Good morning," Alex whispers. "It's Christmas Eve." Addison rolls over in bed to face him and smiles.

"It is. You know there's a tradition in my family… every Christmas Eve morning, we have hot chocolate and watch Christmas movies." Alex starts to tell her that he does indeed have hot chocolate and Christmas movies, but they're interrupted by the ring of his doorbell.

"Stay here. I'll go get it." Swinging out of bed and grabbing a pair of sweatpants, Alex runs down the stairs. When he opens the door, he gapes at the site before him.

"We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year," Izzie and Derek belt out joyously. Behind them, Meredith, George, and Cristina are mumbling and attempting to look excited.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" Alex rubs the back of his neck and shifts uncomfortably, knowing that Addison is upstairs. It's weird enough that they're all here at his house, but the past relationships make "weird" the understatement of the year.

"We wanted to…" Izzie starts, grinning.

"They! They wanted to," Meredith, George, and Cristina grumble. Alex almost laughs out loud. Derek and Izzie are both wearing Santa hats and have their arms full with candy, wreaths, and other decorations, but the others are looking annoyed and tired. Izzie doesn't seem to care, and she rolls her eyes and continues.

"We wanted to help you decorate and invite you to Christmas Eve dinner," she says cheerfully. Derek motions to the decorations in there arms, as if Alex hadn't already seen them.

"Uh, I already decorated." At that, Cristina raises her eyebrows in disgust.

"Evil spawn? You decorate? You've gone to the dark side." Cristina smirks slightly while somehow maintaining a miffed expression. "You're my only sane person left, since Meredith has gone all.. in McLove."

"Look, I was still in bed…"

"Alex? What's going on?" Alex cringes as Addison walks down the stairs in her sweats and one of his old Iowa wrestling sweatshirts. She stops at the foot of the stairs and looks out at the group on the porch with wide eyes.

"What are you all doing here? It's cold. Come in," she says, smiling in spite of the clearly awkward situation. Alex looks confused and shakes his head.

"Actually, they can go home," Alex says pointedly. Addison laughs his comment off and walks over to the door.

"Come in. We were just going to watch movies and have hot chocolate." Grabbing Alex by the hand and opening the door wider, Addison motions for the group to come inside. Izzie bounces in, followed enthusiastically by Derek, who seems oblivious to the tension.

"Adds, we, you don't have to do this," he whispers. Addison blushes at Alex's use of a nickname and shrugs.

"It's Christmas."  
--  
By the time they've all had a few drinks of spiked eggnog, the awkward feeling has disappeared. It has been replaced by gaiety and laughter, and Alex realizes something. As he sits in his living room while the others are baking cookies in the kitchen, he realizes something.

This is home.

Addison and his friends, Christmas trees, cookies, hot chocolate, surgery, and Seattle are home. Alex smiles as Addison walks into the living room carrying a cup of cocoa. He motions for her to sit with him, and then he speaks quietly while gently nibbling on her ear.

"I think I'm falling in love with Christmas." Addison's eyes brighten, and he plays with a strand of her hair absentmindedly.

"I think I'm falling in love with you." Inwardly, Alex wants to jump up and spin Addison around the room. Instead, he settles for something that's more him.

"Me too."  
--  
A/N: Okay, that wasn't a great ending, but I need to wrap this up. If you haven't checked out **Three**, you should do so – it's dramatic and intense and exciting. Thanks for hanging through this prompt; look for a new one soon!


	5. It's a Wonderful Life IV

_It's a Wonderful Life IV_

Rating: PG-13 (innuendo, mild language)  
Pairing: Alex/Addison  
Prompt: Alex/Addison – decorating  
A/N: Um. I lied. I wrote the last chapter in a hurry, and then several of you mentioned that I didn't address the others' reactions to Addison and Alex… so here you go! This really is the end. I swear.

* * *

It's been awhile since the interns have congregated in the hallway, but Meredith isn't surprised when she wanders back there with a stack of charts and finds Alex. She hops up on the bed beside him and twirls her own pen in her fingers before interrogating him. 

"So… Addison," Meredith says, glancing over at Alex. "When did that happen?"

"She came over to help me decorate," Alex replies, not even looking up from his pile of charts. He doesn't even bother with trying to pretend that it was anything less than what it looked like. After all, he thinks he could get used to this relationship pretty fast. He almost grins, thinking of the hot chocolate and dinner they had shared after everyone left.

Meredith laughs to herself, catching the slight upturn of Alex's mouth and then recoils in horror.

"Oh God. You didn't do it on the couch that we sat on, did you?" Alex smirks in response.

"I never kiss and tell, Grey," Alex says. Meredith rolls her eyes but resists the urge to hit him.

"So what… are you guys just sleeping together or is it serious? Because she's… kind of… don't hurt her, Alex."

"Since when do you care about the She-Shepherd?"

"I don't. I mean… I don't. It's just that… she's nice to me. And she doesn't have to be. She has no reason to be. And she still is. Derek and I… we talked about it. He wants her to be happy. I'm okay with that. She deserves to be happy just as much as Derek does. I don't hate her. I don't." Alex nods, and then he reaches over and squeezes the back of Meredith's neck.

"I won't hurt her. Is… Izzie… she doesn't mind, does she?" Alex's eyes show genuine concern, even though he manages to look indifferent.

"No, I think she's fine. We just want you to be happy, Alex. Cristina thinks you're going soft, going gynie and all, but… that's…"

"That's Cristina," Alex finishes. Meredith nods and smiles. "And I bet Bambi can't wait to get some digs in."

"I'll admit… I think we were all a little surprised. With reason, you know," Meredith replies. "I mean… you were going to be the next Mark Sloan. What happened to that?"

"Same thing that happened to you, Grey."

"Your boyfriend had a wife, picked her, took your dog, got mad at you when you dated the veterinarian and then slept with you while your significant others were in the same building?" Alex starts to reply, but he's interrupted by the beep of his pager. He jumps up, grabs his chart, and begins to run off, but he pauses to look back at Meredith.

"You fell in love."  
--  
A/N: I promise. That is the end. I hope that cleared some of it up? I don't know, but basically… everyone's cool with it. I know it would have been more interesting if I had spun it out, thrown in some drama, but I almost feel like they deserve for something to go right. Meredith and Derek don't need more drama. Addison just needs to be respected and needs to be able to be in a relationship without everyone examining it critically – what I mean is that Alex isn't the man that she cheated on her husband with. He isn't her husband whom she stole away from his true love, etc. You get it. They get it. It's all good. Review!


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